`
`UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
`FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS
`WACO DIVISION
`
`
`
`RENESAS’S RULE 12(b)(6) MOTION TO DISMISS
`
`
`Ocean Semiconductor LLC,
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`
`
`v.
`
`Renesas Electronics Corporation and Renesas
`Electronics America, Inc.,
`
`
`
`
`Defendants
`
`Plaintiff
`
`
`
`Civil Action No.: 6:20-cv-01213-ADA
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`ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED
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`JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
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`PATENT CASE
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 2 of 27
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`TABLE OF CONTENTS
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`INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1
`LEGAL STANDARD ......................................................................................................... 2
`ARGUMENT ...................................................................................................................... 4
`A.
`Ocean Has Failed to State a Claim Under § 271(g) ................................................ 4
`1.
`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’651 Patent
`..................................................................................................................... 5
`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’402 Patent
`..................................................................................................................... 6
`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’691 Patent
`..................................................................................................................... 7
`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’305/’248
`Patents ......................................................................................................... 8
`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’330 Patent
`..................................................................................................................... 9
`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’538 Patent
`................................................................................................................... 10
`The Patents-in-Suit Are Fatally Flawed Under 35 U.S.C. § 101 .......................... 11
`1.
`The Asserted Claims of the ’305 Patent and the ’248 Patent Are Directed
`to Patent Ineligible Subject Matter ........................................................... 12
`Claim 1 of the ’402 Patent is Directed to Patent Ineligible Subject Matter
`................................................................................................................... 14
`Claim 1 of the ’538 Patent is Directed to Patent Ineligible Subject Matter
`................................................................................................................... 16
`Claim 1 of the ’691 Patent Is Directed to Patent Ineligible Subject Matter
`................................................................................................................... 18
`Ocean Has Failed to State a Claim for Induced Infringement .............................. 19
`C.
`CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 20
`
`
`I.
`II.
`III.
`
`IV.
`
`
`B.
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`2.
`
`3.
`
`4.
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`5.
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`6.
`
`2.
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`3.
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`4.
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 3 of 27
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`TABLE OF AUTHORITIES
`
`
`
`Page(s)
`
`Cases
`
`Accenture Global Servs., GmbH v. Guidewire Software, Inc.,
`728 F.3d 1336 (Fed.Cir. 2013).................................................................................................13
`
`Affinity Labs of Tex., LLC v. Blackberry Ltd.,
`No. W:13-CV-362, 2014 WL 12551207 (W.D. Tex. Apr. 30, 2014)......................................20
`
`Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int’l,
`573 U.S. 208 (2014) ...............................................................1, 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
`
`Ashcroft v. Iqbal,
`556 U.S. 652 (2009) .............................................................................................................2, 19
`
`Bancorp Servs., L.L.C. v. Sun Life Assurance Co.,
`687 F.3d 1266 (Fed. Cir. 2012)................................................................................................17
`
`Bascom Glob. Internet Servs., Inc. v. AT&T Mobility, LLC,
`827 F.3d 1341 (Fed. Cir. 2016)................................................................................................14
`
`Bayer AG v. Housey Pharms., Inc.,
`340 F.3d 1367 (Fed. Cir. 2003)......................................................................3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
`
`Bell Atlantic Corp v. Twombly,
`550 U.S. 544 (2007) ...................................................................................................................2
`
`Berkheimer v. HP Inc.,
`881 F.3d 1360 (Fed. Cir. 2018)..................................................................................................3
`
`Bonutti Skeletal Innovations, LLC v. Globus Med. Inc.,
`No. 14-6650, 2015 WL 3755223 (E.D. Pa. June 15, 2015) .....................................................20
`
`Braemar Mfg., LLC v. ScottCare Corp.,
`816 F. App’x 465 (Fed. Cir. 2020) ..........................................................................................18
`
`BSG Tech LLC v. Buyseasons, Inc.,
`899 F.3d 1281 (Fed. Cir. 2018)................................................................................................14
`
`Cleveland Clinic Found. v. True Health Diagnostics LLC,
`859 F.3d 1352 (Fed. Cir. 2017)................................................................................................11
`
`Credit Acceptance Corp. v. Westlake Servs.,
`859 F.3d 1044 (Fed. Cir. 2017)................................................................................................13
`
`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 4 of 27
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`DDR Holdings, LLC v. Hotels.com, L.P.,
`773 F.3d 1245 (Fed. Cir. 2014)................................................................................................14
`
`DSU Med. Corp. v. JMS Co.,
`471 F.3d 1293 (Fed. Cir. 2006)............................................................................................4, 20
`
`Elec. Power Grp., LLC v. Alstom S.A.,
`830 F.3d 1350 (Fed. Cir. 2016)....................................................................................12, 15, 17
`
`Enfish, LLC v. Microsoft Corp.,
`822 F.3d 1327 (Fed. Cir. 2016)................................................................................................12
`
`In re Gopalan,
`809 F. App’x 942 (Fed. Cir. 2020) ..........................................................................................19
`
`In re Katrina Canal Breaches Litig.,
`495 F. 3d 191 (5th Cir. 2007) ....................................................................................................2
`
`Lifetime Indus., Inc. v. Trim-Lok, Inc.,
`869 F.3d 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2017)..................................................................................................3
`
`Momenta Pharms., Inc. v. Teva Pharms. USA Inc.,
`809 F.3d 610 (Fed. Cir. 2015)................................................................................................3, 4
`
`OpenTV, Inc. v. Netflix Inc.,
`76 F. Supp. 3d 886 (N.D. Cal. 2014) .......................................................................................12
`
`P & RO Sols. Grp., Inc. v. CiM Maint., Inc.,
`273 F. Supp. 3d 699 (E.D. Tex. 2017) .....................................................................................13
`
`Phillip M. Adams & Assocs., LLC v. Dell Computer Corp.,
`519 F. App’x 998 (Fed. Cir. 2013) ............................................................................................5
`
`Specialized Monitoring Sols., LLC v. ADT LLC,
`367 F. Supp. 3d 575 (E.D. Tex. 2019) .....................................................................................15
`
`Taylor v. Books A Million, Inc.,
`296 F. 3d 376 (5th Cir. 2002) ....................................................................................................2
`
`In re TLI Commc’ns LLC Pat. Litig.,
`823 F.3d 607 (Fed. Cir. 2016)................................................................................11, 14, 16, 19
`
`Univ. of Fla. Res. Found., Inc. v. Gen. Elec. Co.,
`916 F.3d 1363 (Fed. Cir. 2019)................................................................................................13
`
`Statutes
`
`35 U.S.C. § 101 ..............................................................................................................3, 11, 13, 16
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 5 of 27
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`35 U.S.C. § 271 ..........................................................................................1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 6 of 27
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`I.
`
`INTRODUCTION
`
`Ocean Semiconductor LLC (“Ocean”) alleges infringement of seven patents by Renesas
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`Electronics Corp. and Renesas Electronics America, Inc. (collectively “Renesas”). All patents
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`relate to manufacturing of semiconductor devices using equipment that is distinctly not Renesas’.
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`All seven infringement allegations hang on 35 U.S.C. § 271(g)—which is limited to a
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`product “made by” a process patented in the United States. Unfortunately for Ocean, § 271(g) is
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`inapplicable as a matter of law. The Federal Circuit has been clear that § 271(g) only applies when
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`the claimed process creates the accused product. If the claimed process does not do so, there
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`simply cannot be infringement under § 271(g). Here, all asserted claims are method claims and
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`all infringement allegations are based on § 271(g) and none teach manufacturing a product or
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`making changes to manufactured products. For example, Ocean describes the purported invention
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`of two asserted patents as “facilitat[ing] the reactive scheduling of events resulting from certain
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`factory state changes.” D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 39, 51. In other words, the patents relate to analyzing
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`information about equipment status during the production process and do not teach manufacturing
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`a device or manipulating a device during the manufacturing process. Production or manipulation
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`of information is not contemplated by a statute explicitly tied to products “made by” the patented
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`process. 35 U.S.C. § 271(g). Ocean’s infringement claims should be dismissed with prejudice.
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`Second, at least five of the seven asserted patents are invalid under Alice and no questions
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`of fact can save them.1 Ocean all but admits that these patents are Alice vulnerable. Indeed, Ocean
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`takes special care to plead different ways that the patents are purportedly “inventive concepts.”
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`Unfortunately for Ocean, its own words confirm the point it is attempting to disprove. For
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`example, Ocean explains that two of the asserted patents “allow[] efficient management of factory
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`1 Renesas believes additional discovery will likely show the ’651 and ’330 patents (which are not
`subject to the Alice-based portions of this motion) are also invalid under Alice.
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 7 of 27
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`control systems.” D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 39, 51. In other words, the patents automate equipment scheduling—
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`a task routinely carried out by humans. Despite Ocean’s barren assertion to the opposite, the
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`patents exclusively rely on generic computing elements—“a processor or controller embedded in
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`the process tool” (D.I. 1, Ex. B (’305 patent) at 6:1-20)—to carry out the claimed automation. The
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`Federal Circuit regularly upholds such automation techniques as invalid at the motion to dismiss
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`stage. The same result should apply here. Ocean’s own pleadings confirm the weaknesses and do
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`little more than emphasize that at least the five patents identified in this motion are invalid.
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`Lastly, Ocean also pleads indirect infringement under 35 U.S.C. § 271(b). Its indirect
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`infringement theory is predicated on the same theory of direct infringement outlined above which
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`fails as a matter of law. Further, even if direct infringement were supportable, which it is not,
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`Ocean’s pleading lacks any plausible facts to support that Renesas knowingly induced
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`infringement. Its boilerplate allegations should be dismissed.
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`II.
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`LEGAL STANDARD
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`In deciding a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim, the court accepts
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`all well-pleaded facts as true, viewing them in the light most favorable to the non-movant. In re
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`Katrina Canal Breaches Litig., 495 F. 3d 191, 205 (5th Cir. 2007). A court need not blindly accept
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`each and every allegation of fact, particularly where an allegation is conclusory or comprises a
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`legal conclusion “masquerading as a factual conclusion.” Taylor v. Books A Million, Inc., 296 F.
`
`3d 376, 378 (5th Cir. 2002); Bell Atlantic Corp v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007); Ashcroft v.
`
`Iqbal, 556 U.S. 652, 678 (2009). To avoid dismissal, the complaint must plead enough facts to
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`state a claim for relief that is plausible on its face, Twombly, 550 U.S. at 570, and the factual
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`allegations must be enough to raise a right to relief above the level of speculation. Id. at 555.
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`A patentee can assert a claim for infringement when an accused infringer imports into, or
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`offers to sell, sells, or uses within, the United States “a product which is made by a process patented
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 8 of 27
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`in the United States.” 35 U.S.C. § 271(g). Claims under § 271(g) are “limited to physical goods
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`that were manufactured” using a patented process and do not extend to “information generated by
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`a patented process.” Bayer AG v. Housey Pharms., Inc., 340 F.3d 1367, 1368 (Fed. Cir. 2003).
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`Section 271(g) applies to “the actual ‘ma[king]’ of a product,” not to “methods of testing a final
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`product or intermediate substance.” Momenta Pharms., Inc. v. Teva Pharms. USA Inc., 809 F.3d
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`610, 615 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (alteration in original). A product is “made by” a process when that
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`process “create[s] or give[s] new properties” to the product. Id. at 616–17.
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`Under 35 U.S.C. § 101, courts apply a two-part test to determine whether a patent is
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`directed to eligible subject matter. Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int’l, 573 U.S. 208, 217–18
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`(2014). First, a court must determine whether the claims at issue are “directed to a patent-ineligible
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`concept.” Id. at 217. Laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas are not patentable.
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`Id. at 216. If the claims are directed to a patent-ineligible concept, a court must then “consider the
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`elements of each claim both individually and ‘as an ordered combination’ to determine whether
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`the additional elements ‘transform the nature of the claim’ into a patent-eligible application.” Id.
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`at 217 (quotations omitted). Step two of the analysis is “a search for an ‘inventive concept’—i.e.,
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`an element or combination of elements that is ‘sufficient to ensure that the patent in practice
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`amounts to significantly more than a patent upon the ineligible concept itself.” Id. at 217–18
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`(quotations omitted). Step two is satisfied “when the claim limitations involve more than
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`performance of well-understood, routine, and conventional activities previously known to the
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`industry.” Berkheimer v. HP Inc., 881 F.3d 1360, 1367 (Fed. Cir. 2018).
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`To plead induced infringement under § 271(b), a patent holder “must plead facts plausibly
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`showing that the accused infringer ‘specifically intended [another party] to infringe [the patent]
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`and knew that the [other party]’s acts constituted infringement.’” Lifetime Indus., Inc. v. Trim-
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 9 of 27
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`Lok, Inc., 869 F.3d 1372, 1379 (Fed. Cir. 2017) (citation omitted). “[M]ere knowledge of possible
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`infringement by others does not amount to inducement; specific intent and action to induce
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`infringement” are required. DSU Med. Corp. v. JMS Co., 471 F.3d 1293, 1305 (Fed. Cir. 2006).
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`III. ARGUMENT
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`A.
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`Ocean Has Failed to State a Claim Under § 271(g)
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`Every asserted claim in this case is a method claim. Crucially, every method relates in one
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`way or another to collecting data during a semiconductor chip manufacturing process; however,
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`no asserted claim is directed to the actual manufacture of any physical product. Because of this,
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`the accused semiconductor chips simply cannot infringe under any 35 U.S.C. § 271 sub-prong.
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`Ocean’s entire case hinges on proving infringement under § 271(g), which is explicitly
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`limited to liability for products “made by a process patented in the United States.” 35 U.S.C. §
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`271(g). Because Ocean’s asserted claims are directed to information exchange during the
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`manufacturing process and not to steps for outputting a manufactured product, there simply cannot
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`be infringement under this theory. Indeed, to survive a motion to dismiss Ocean must have
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`plausibly alleged sufficient facts to demonstrate that the patented process is directly part of the
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`actual steps to manufacture the final product itself. See Bayer AG v. Housey Pharm., Inc., 340
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`F.3d 1367, 1378 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (affirming Rule 12(b)(6) dismissal of an infringement claim
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`brought under § 271(g) where the patented method was not a process used in making the final
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`accused product imported into the United States and construing the term “made by a process
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`patented in the United States” to require that the patented process “must be used directly in the
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`manufacture of the product, and not merely as a predicate process to identify the product to be
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`manufactured.”). As explained below, Ocean has made no such pleading for any asserted patent.
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`Notably, § 271(g) does not apply to quality control processes, nor to testing methods
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`provided that the claimed methods did not change the accused products. See Momenta Pharm.,
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 10 of 27
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`Inc. v. Teva Pharm. USA Inc., 809 F.3d 610, 616–17 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (finding no direct
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`infringement under § 271(g) where the claimed process related to “tests [that do not] create or give
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`new properties” to the accused products); Phillip M. Adams & Assocs., LLC v. Dell Computer
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`Corp., 519 F. App’x 998, 1005 (Fed. Cir. 2013) (finding no direct infringement under § 271(g)
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`where the claimed process related to certification testing processes that were “not part of the
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`process to ‘make’ the” accused products).
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`1.
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`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’651 Patent
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`Ocean alleges that Renesas directly infringes independent claim 19 of the ’651 patent,
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`solely based on § 271(g). D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 73-75. Claim 19 of the ’651 patent is directed to a method
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`for “adjusting [a] surface of [a] wafer stage by actuating at least one of a plurality of pneumatic
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`cylinders[.]” See D.I. 1, Ex. A (’651 patent) at 12:62–66. The ’651 patent specification explains
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`that the “present invention is generally directed to a wafer stage having an adjustable surface or
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`plane, such that the plane of the wafer stage may be raised, lowered or tilted,” and that “[b]y
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`adjusting the plane of the wafer stage, the present invention may be useful in reducing or
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`overcoming some of the problems described in the background section of this application.” Id. at
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`5:23–29. The Complaint takes the same position. D.I. 1 at ¶ 32.
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`The discussed processing does not make a product nor does it give the accused products
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`new properties, at least one of which are required to support infringement under § 271(g). Ocean’s
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`own infringement charts confirm this because the allegations are limited to “process operations”
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`that image or map the wafer—i.e., process operations that do not cause a change to the wafer. See
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`generally D.I. 1, Ex. H. Particularly, Ocean accuses manufacturing equipment—ASML’s
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`TWINSCAN—for its “stepper imaging” or “double patterning,” but these are functions for
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`measuring or positioning, not manufacturing or changing, the wafer. Id. at 9–10 (“Once the wafer
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`is loaded . . . its surface is mapped in horizontal and vertical planes,” “[s]tage position measurement
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 11 of 27
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`is now performed in all degrees of freedom by interferometers, with reference beams directed at
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`the projection lens,” which “provides a direct relative measurement of the position with respect to
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`the lens.”). Ocean does not allege (1) that any process actually occurs to the wafer, or (2) that any
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`process results in a change to the wafer. Id. The ’651 infringement claims should be dismissed.
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`2.
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`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’402 Patent
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`Ocean alleges that Renesas directly infringes independent claim 1 of the ’402 patent, solely
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`based on § 271(g). D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 93-96. Claim 1 of the ’402 patent is directed to a method for
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`configuration of a processing tool—not a semiconductor product to be manufactured—in response
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`to the presence of a fault condition in the processing tool. See D.I. 1, Ex. C (’402 patent) at 7:10–
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`38. In particular, the method recited in claim 1 requires that a “first interface” receive “operational
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`state data of a processing tool related to the manufacture of a processing piece.” Id. at 7:9–11.
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`The method sends the state data from the first interface to a fault detection unit and “determine[s]
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`if a fault condition exists with the processing tool” itself. Id. at 7:15–27. “[I]n response to the
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`presence of a fault condition,” the method “perform[s] a predetermined action on the processing
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`tool.” Id. at 7:28–30 (emphasis added). The “predetermined action on the processing tool”
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`“comprises sending a signal to the first interface” (in claim 1) and further comprises “shutting
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`down the processing tool” (in nonasserted dependent claim 2). Id. at 7:38–42 (emphasis added).
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`In other words, the claimed method responds to the detection of a fault condition by configuring
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`the processing tool, but does not change the semiconductor product that may separately be
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`manufactured using the tool. The Complaint itself confirms that the claimed method is directed to
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`configuring a processing tool, stating it is directed to “shutting down a process tool or halting a
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`manufacturing process in the presence of a manufacturing fault.” D.I. 1 at ¶ 43.
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`Ocean’s claim charts follow suit as they are limited to allegations of configuring a
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`processing tool and include no allegations directed to the actual manufacturing of a semiconductor
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 12 of 27
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`product. See generally D.I. 1, Exs. I–J. For example, in one claim chart, Ocean cites to “models
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`[that] can detect problems with equipment and provide predictive maintenance capabilities that
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`reduce unscheduled downtime and product scrap.” D.I. 1, Ex. I at 12. These “predictive
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`maintenance capabilities,” however, are limited to configuration of the tool, and do not touch on a
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`process for directly manufacturing the accused semiconductor products. Similarly, in a second
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`claim chart, Ocean accuses certain steps to update a “database and continue monitoring the
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`processing pipeline to improve product and process control.” D.I. 1, Ex. J at 23. Updating a
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`database and monitoring a pipeline plainly do not relate to a process for directly manufacturing a
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`semiconductor product. Because Ocean’s § 271(g) assertions on the ’402 patent are directed to
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`configuring a processing tool—not directly manufacturing an accused product—Ocean’s claim for
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`direct infringement of the ’402 patent should be dismissed. Bayer, 340 F.3d at 1378.
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`3.
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`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’691 Patent
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`Ocean alleges that Renesas directly infringes independent claim 1 of the ’691 patent, solely
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`based on § 271(g). D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 174-77. Claim 1 is directed to a method for conducting a “process
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`control activity related to one of the tools” (not a semiconductor product to be manufactured) based
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`on “filtered metrology data.” See D.I. 1, Ex. F (’691 patent) at 8:19–28. Thus, the claim is not
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`directed to a process for manufacturing a semiconductor product, but rather only to data collection
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`and processing related to a tool.
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`The Complaint confirms that asserted claim 1 is directed to configuration of the tool itself,
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`describing that the claimed method “improve[s] the performance of the process controller”
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`associated with the tool. D.I. 1 at ¶ 61. Evident in Ocean’s characterization of the ’691 patent is
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`that the patent is directed to equipment performance, not to a manufactured product.
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`Likewise, Ocean’s claim charts demonstrate that the allegedly infringing act is limited to
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`configuring a processing tool. The charts again do not point to any step that results in a change to
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 13 of 27
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`the accused products. See generally D.I. 1, Exs. N–O. For example, a first chart equates the
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`claimed “process control activity” to “identify[ing], for example, root causes at tool and sensor
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`level, predict[ing] yield problem, and yield driven control limits[.]” D.I. 1, Ex. N at 8. A second
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`chart equates the claimed “process control activity” to “detect[ing] early life failure of a particular
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`die or chipset package,” “identify[ing] losses due to problems in fabrication, test and design,”
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`“optimiz[ing] system performance across supply chain,” “fault-detection and classification,” and
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`“trigger[ing] alarms.” D.I. 1, Ex. O at 9–11. Such processes are limited to the configuration of
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`the tool, and not a process for directly manufacturing a semiconductor product. Ocean’s claim for
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`direct infringement of the ’691 patent should be dismissed. Bayer, 340 F.3d at 1378.
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`4.
`
`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’305/’248
`Patents
`
`Ocean alleges that Renesas directly infringes independent claim 1 of the ’305 patent and
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`claim 1 of the ’248 patent, solely based on § 271(g). D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 114-17 (’305 patent); ¶¶ 134-37
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`(’248 patent). Claim 1 of each of the ’305 and ’248 patents is directed to a “method for scheduling
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`in an automated manufacturing environment,” including steps for “detecting an occurrence of a
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`predetermined event in a process flow,” and “reactively scheduling an action . . . responsive to the
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`detection of the predetermined event.” See D.I. 1, Ex. B (’305 patent) at 39:52–60; D.I. 1, Ex. D
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`(’248 patent) at 30:40–48. Like the other patents, the plain language of these claims makes clear
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`that the claimed methods are directed to optimizing the scheduling of events in a manufacturing
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`environment, and not to a process for manufacturing a semiconductor product. The Complaint
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`confirms the same. Indeed, the complaint states that the patents “resolve technical problems
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 14 of 27
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`related to utilization of process tools and scheduling and execution control of factory control
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`systems.” D.I. 1 at ¶ 37 (’305 patent); ¶ 49 (’248 patent).
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`Ocean’s claim charts are no different. See generally D.I. 1, Ex. K (’305 patent), Ex. L
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`(’248 patent). The charts do not point to any step that results in a change to any accused product.
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`See generally D.I. 1, Exs. K–L. For example, the accused products are allegedly manufactured
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`using “camLine GmbH’s (‘camLine’) semiconductor fabrication or manufacturing equipment,
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`platforms, and/or framework, including camLine’s software and APC system, including the
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`LineWorks factory advanced/automation process control (‘APC’) platform hardware and/or
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`software (collectively, ‘LineWorks’) and/or other APC system and platform hardware and/or
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`software. Such products include, without limitation, microcontrollers and microprocessors.” D.I.
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`1, Ex. K at 2; Ex. L at 2. Ocean explains that the camLine LineWorks system “provides a method
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`for scheduling in an automated manufacturing environment.” D.I. 1, Ex. K at 4; Ex. L at 3.
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`However, delivery of a production schedule is far removed from—and is not an actual step in—
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`the manufacture of a semiconductor product itself. Ocean’s claims for direct infringement of the
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`’305 and ’248 patents should be dismissed. Bayer, 340 F.3d at 1378.
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`5.
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`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’330 Patent
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`Ocean alleges that Renesas directly infringes independent claim 19 of the ’330 patent,
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`solely based on § 271(g). D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 154-57. Claim 19 of the ’330 patent is directed to a “method
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`for monitoring and controlling a semiconductor fabrication process.” See D.I. 1, Ex. E (’330
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`patent) at 21:5–6. The method includes the steps, e.g., of “concurrently measuring one or more
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`critical dimensions and overlay in a wafer undergoing the fabrication process,” “determining if
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`one or more of the critical dimensions are outside of acceptable tolerances,” “developing control
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`data,” and “feeding forward or backward the control data to adjust one or more fabrication
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`components or one or more operating parameters associated with the fabrication components[.]”
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
`
`
`
`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 15 of 27
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`Id. at 21:5–30. Importantly, the claim stops at any adjustment to the tool. The last claimed step is
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`simply “feeding forward or backward control data” that will ultimately be used to adjust one or
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`more fabrication components or operating parameters—all of which occur on the tool. Critically
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`missing from the claimed method is any step for changing a “wafer undergoing the fabrication
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`process.” Id. Instead, like the other asserted patents, the method is tied to changes in the data
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`within the tool. Id. Thus, the claimed method is not directed to a process for manufacturing a
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`semiconductor product. Similarly, Ocean’s claim chart confirms that the allegedly infringing acts
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`are tolerance and error detection on the tool, not on the actual manufacture of a semiconductor
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`product. See D.I. 1, Ex. M at 11, 18, 20 (describing how ASML’s YieldStar system collects data
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`regarding tolerances for process control). Ocean’s claim for direct infringement of the ’330 patent
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`should be dismissed. Bayer, 340 F.3d at 1378.
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`6.
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`There Is No Viable Infringement Claim Under § 271(g) for the ’538 Patent
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`Ocean alleges that Renesas directly infringes independent claim 1 of the ’538 patent, solely
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`based on § 271(g). D.I. 1 at ¶¶ 194-97. Claim 1 of the ’538 patent is directed to a method for
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`“performing in a computer a fault detection analysis,” “adjusting in said computer a weighting of
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`[a] parameter based upon [a] relationship of said parameter to [a] detected fault,” and “performing
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`in said computer the fault detection analysis . . . using said adjusted weighting.” See D.I. 1, Ex. G
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`(’538 patent) at 13:28– 39. The patent explains that, by using the claimed method, “various tool
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`state parameters to particular wafers, may be modified to make the detection of similar faults more
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`likely, or alternatively, less likely.” Id. at 5:39–46. In other words, the claimed method only
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`results in a change to the tool itself, such as the “tool state parameters,” rather than a semiconductor
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`product to be manufactured. The Complaint explains the same. Indeed, the complaint categorizes
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`asserted claim 1 as directed to solving “technical problems related to inaccurately detecting faults
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`in semiconductor manufacturing processes.” D.I. 1 at ¶ 67. Evident in Ocean’s characterization
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`IPR2021-01342
`Ocean Semiconductor Exhibit 2023
`
`
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`Case 6:20-cv-01213-ADA Document 15 Filed 04/26/21 Page 16 of 27
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`of the ’538 patent is that the patent is not directed to a process for directly manufacturing a
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`semico